Beds and Herts League 2022

Enfield Croquet Club’s lawns in Bush Hill Park

v Enfield (away)     29 April     drew 3-3

Bryan Harral (-½) and Peter Aspinall (10) beat David Frost (4½) and Thomas Halliday (7) +2t

John Bevington (1½) and Richard Keighley (12) beat John Street (8) and Michael Broadway (11) +4t

Bryan Harral beat David Frost +13

John Bevington lost to Thomas Halliday -4

Peter Aspinall lost to John Street -13

Richard Keighley lost to Michael Broadway -5t

This year’s campaign started with a visit to Enfield. It was very cold. In the doubles we managed to stay ahead in both games, both of which went to time. After lunch and welcome hot drinks the games on lawn 1 were divided.

The games on lawn 2 were somewhat closer and more drawn out, due in part to the tricky hoop 6 which caused difficulties for everyone and led to several traffic jams with balls stuck in the hoop having to be marked to let someone else try their luck.

© Wrest Park Croquet Club  

v Northampton (away)     14 September     won 4-2













The lawns at the Wellingborough Old Grammarians Sports Club

David Marsh (-1) and Tim Brewer (3) beat Jane Evans (16) and Mel Christie (20 ) +1t

George Collin (-½) and John Bevington (1) lost to Lionel Tibble (-1) and Nick Evans (1½) -26

David Marsh beat Lionel Tibble +7

George Collin lost to Nick Evans -19

John Bevington beat Jane Evans +1t

Tim Brewer beat Mel Christie +8t

Northampton are currently based at a sports club with Sywell aerodrome on one side and an industrial estate on the other. The lawns are on the outfield of a cricket pitch (you can see the boundary line in the photo). There were a few cracks in the surface but the lawns are flat and with better grass cover than our own.

In the morning doubles Nick had made a few hoops before George failed hoop one off partner. Lionel took full advantage and the end was not long in coming. It looked as though we would be going into lunch 2-0 down, but with David already round Tim managed to make the golden hoop when the scores were level after time had been called. All to play for.

In the singles Lionel got in early and was looking good, but David recovered, pegged him out and held on to win. George was out of sorts, but Tim clawed his way back to beat Mel and John did the same after Jane’s bisques ran out. With both of them on stick and 4-back, and after time had been called, he rushed her 4-back ball to the hoop, made it to go one ahead and ignored a potential roquet to penult in favour of putting his ball off the south boundary.

It helps to know the laws. Jane then hit the peg from near corner four with the peg ball but had to be told that it didn’t count. Funnily enough, David had had to ask about the laws on pegging out in handicap play earlier in the day.

v Watford (away)     11 July     drew 3-3

Bryan Harral (-½) and Peter Aspinall (10) beat Simon Hathrell (-1) and Adam Huby (7) +7t

George Collin (0) and John Bevington (1½) beat Alan Clark (3½) and Andre Machell (6) +8t

Bryan Harral lost to Simon Hathrell -5t

George Collin beat Alan Clark +8

John Bevington lost to Andre Machell -3t

Peter Aspinall lost to Adam Huby -4t

On a hot sunny day, playing on fast lawns, the handicapping system was thoroughly vindicated with a drawn result, all six games decided by single figure scores and five of them going to time. In the last game to finish John, on 4 and penult against Andre’s penult and peg, hit in on the last turn and went round to 3-back with the balls well placed to level the scores and force a golden hoop, but he was slightly hampered after running the hoop and missed the roquet. Many thanks to George, whose knowledge of Watford’s side streets got us there in good time and whose air conditioning kept us cool on the journey home.

v Letchworth (home)     28 June     won 5-1

David Marsh (-1) and John Bevington (1½) lost to John Noble (4½) and Sheila Haggett (18) -4t

Bryan Harral (-½) and George Collin (0) beat Stuart Haggett (10) and David Clancy (14) +5

David Marsh beat John Noble +25

Bryan Harral beat Stuart Haggett +2t

George Collin beat David Clancy +10

John Bevington beat Sheila Haggett +11

This match saw us conceding a total of 70 bisques, which might be a record for the League. The weather was fine but with a stiff breeze. In the doubles David and John, playing on a fast lawn 1 where the hoops were “firm but fair”, repeatedly fell foul of hoop 5 before losing on time. David mastered the conditions in the afternoon and won in two turns, and John won after Sheila (who did a peel at 4-back) ran out of bisques. Bryan and George’s successes took place on lawn 4, too far away to observe any noteworthy incidents.

v St Albans (home)     9 June     won 4-3

Bryan Harral (-½) and Peter Aspinall (10) beat Heather Bennett (1½) and Brian Johns (20) +17

George Collin (0) and John Bevington (1½) lost to Stephen Mills (4½) and Roger Bowman (11) -25

Bryan Harral beat Heather Bennett +14

George Collin lost to Stephen Mills -11

John Bevington beat Roger Bowman +1

Peter Aspinall beat Brian Johns +20

The doubles split 1-1. George and John lost in just over an hour after Stephen finished with a double peel (the rover peel, from north of the peg, more down to luck than judgement) and two of the seven bisques standing. In the singles Stephen, for peg and peg, roqueted partner onto the peg. George made up some ground before Stephen finally hit. With Bryan and Peter having won a draw was on the cards as Roger was well ahead. He pegged one ball out, but was unable to finish before John managed to sneak round and win the game and match by the minimum margin.

Thomas Halliday (Blue) and Michael Broadway (Green) wait as Richard Keighley marks his ball after yet another incident at hoop 6.

Club

Croquet

Wrest Park

2022 Archive